By Sean Cronin
Ascot's rain-affected British Champions Day opened with the £300,000 Qipco British Champions Long Distance Cup over the best part of two miles and it was Hollie Doyle, fresh from setting a record number of winners earlier in the week, who celebrated success with a wide-margin tally aboard Barbary Lions 5's 4-year-old gelding Trueshan (Fr) (Planteur {Ire}). The Alan King trainee's previous best came in July's Listed Tapster S. at Haydock and he earned his place in this line-up coming back off an eighth–behind the reopposing Fujaira Prince (Ire) (Pivotal {GB})–in York's Aug. 22 Ebor H. and a Sept. 11 Salisbury conditions score over 14 furlongs last time. Trueshan found a comfortable rhythm just off the pace in sixth, but slipped one spot as 11-10 pick Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) improved position at halfway. Making rapid headway on the home turn, the 11-1 chance quickened into second entering the final quarter mile and powered ever clear under minimal urging once seizing control soon after to hit the line an impressive 7 1/2 lengths ahead of dual G1 Irish St Leger heroine Search For A Song (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), with old foe Fujaira Prince holding the closing pack for third. Stradivarius was unable to land a blow and finished 12th of 13.
“I travelled all over them and that was incredible,” exclaimed a jubilant Doyle. “He doesn't like being crowded so I switched him at the three-[furlong] pole and the further I went, the better he went. He was almost overtravelling with me and I had to stay out a bit wide for the first three furlongs, but luckily I managed to slot in there and got a nice position outside Stradivarius. He was tanking with me and he went through the ground like a tractor. The pace was reasonable, but he was travelling and he felt like he was hacking round there. I switched my fellow round horses as they said he didn't like getting crowded in the Ebor and when I pushed the button, he responded. It is testing and it is wet, heavy ground and hard work. I rode him first time at Wolverhampton, and that was a bit of a surprise, and then he bolted up at Ffos Las. I've not been on him since so I'm really grateful for the owners and Alan putting me back on him today. He is a proper horse, he won his first two starts and I've always liked him. I'm not going to lie, I didn't realise he would be up to Group 2 level like today. I'm really happy people are seeing me as just a jockey, and not a female jockey, and shout out to Alan King because he is some trainer.”
Assistant trainer Dan Horsford added, “He's been progressive all year and has improved for the step up to two miles. Who knows where he ends up from here, but it will be all the Cup races next year and I would think [any] hurdling [plans] will be shelved. It's unbelievable, it looked like Hollie jumped in two furlongs out and she is still unbeaten on him. She gets on very well with him, but it just didn't happen for him in the Ebor for whatever reason. It's been a cracking year and long may it last.”
Reflecting on the performance of Stradivarius, who was not unduly punished once his chance had evaporated, trainer John Gosden said, “The ground was too deep and too heavy and he hated it. Frankie [Dettori] thought he pulled his shoes off. He was in good form, but the ground was very deep down there and he would have probably been better running on the inner [jumps] track!” Dettori added, “I was never there and there is not much else I can say.”
Trueshan is the leading performer and sole stakes winner for dual scorer Shao Line (Fr) (General Holme), who has five winners to her credit and is a granddaughter of Marie de Lempire (Fr) (Faristan {GB}), herself the dam of the stakes-winning Dom Lurcy (Dom Racine {Fr}). Marie de Lempire is kin to the stakes-winning Marie d'Ivors (Fr) (Rheffic {Fr}) and the mare Herila (Fr) (Bold Lad), who in turn is the second dam of G1 Derby Italiano hero Houmayoun Fr) (Shernazar {Ire}) and three-time stakes victress Hanzala (Akarad {Fr}), with this being the tail line of G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches heroine Altissima (Klairon {Fr}). Shao Line's last known foal is the unplaced 3-year-old gelding Je N'y Crois Pas (Fr) (Sommerabend {GB}).
Saturday, Ascot, Britain
QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS LONG DISTANCE CUP-G2, £300,000, Ascot, 10-17, 3yo/up, 15f 209yT, 3:35.75, sf.
1–TRUESHAN (FR), 133, g, 4, by Planteur (Ire)
1st Dam: Shao Line (Fr), by General Holme
2nd Dam: Marie d'Altoria, by Roi de Rome
3rd Dam: Marie de Lempire (Fr), by Faristan (GB)
1ST GROUP WIN. (€8,000 Ylg '17 OSLATE; 31,000gns 2yo '18 TATHIT). O-Barbury Lions 5; B-Didier Blot (FR); T-Alan King; J-Hollie Doyle. £170,130. Lifetime Record: 11-7-1-0, $423,737. Werk Nick Rating: D+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Search For A Song (Ire), 130, f, 4, Galileo (Ire)–Polished Gem (Ire), by Danehill. O/B-Moyglare Stud Farm Ltd (IRE); T-Dermot Weld. £64,500.
3–Fujaira Prince (Ire), 133, g, 6, Pivotal (GB)–Zam Zoom (Ire), by Dalakhani (Ire). (90,000gns Ylg '15 TATOCT). O-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Roger Varian. £32,280.
Margins: 7HF, HF, NK. Odds: 11.00, 7.00, 10.00.
Also Ran: Morando (Fr), Sovereign (Ire), Dawn Patrol (Ire), Spanish Mission, Mildenberger (GB), Monica Sheriff (GB), Max Vega (Ire), Dubious Affair (Ire), Stradivarius (Ire), Broome (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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